1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure of invention relates to a backlight assembly and a display apparatus having the backlight assembly. More particularly, example embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure of invention relate to a centered-source type backlight assembly and a display apparatus having the backlight assembly.
2. Description of Related Technology
Generally, a display apparatus may include a display panel including a display area configured for displaying an image and a peripheral area in which a driving part configured for driving elements in the display area is disposed. The display apparatus may further include a backlight assembly configured for providing light to the display panel and a receiving container receiving the backlight assembly.
The backlight assembly may be classified into a direct-illumination type or an edge-illumination type according to a position, size and usage of the light source.
The backlight assembly for a conventional direct-illumination type typically includes a plurality of light sources distributed across a whole surface of the display panel, so that a manufacturing cost and a thickness of a display apparatus may increase as a result of this conventional configuration which calls for many light sources to be uniformly distributes under an entire display area (DA) of a display panel. More light sources and electrical interconnect to them is called for as the size of the display area (DA) grows.
By contrast, the backlight assembly for the edge-illumination type typically includes a plurality of light sources distributed across only one or more edge portions of the display panel, so that the manufacturing cost and a thickness of a display apparatus may decrease because a smaller number of light sources is called for and a smaller amount of electrical interconnect is needed. Thus, the backlight assembly for the edge-illumination type has been more used (more popular) due to its cost and device thickness advantages.
More specifically, the backlight assembly for the edge-illumination type typically includes a light source and a light guide plate configured for guiding the edge-received light emitted from the edge-disposed lights source to a planar major surface of the corresponding display panel. In other words, the edge-type light source is disposed in a peripheral area of the display panel to be hidden for example by a bezel surrounding the display area. Thus, the display apparatus of the edge-illumination type backlight assembly is typically forced to have a peripheral bezel having a width at least the same as or more than a width of the edge-disposed light sources.
Recently, a centered-source type of backlight assembly has been developed. The centered-type backlight assembly includes a light source disposed under a plurality (e.g., a stack) of light guide plates packed adjacent to each other. The stack of light guide plates guide and re-direct the center-sourced light of the centered-type backlight assembly to be more uniformly distributed to the display panel. In the centered-type backlight assembly, the light source is disposed under the display area, so that the width of the peripheral bezel may be substantially decreased if desired.
However, in the centered-type backlight assembly, a brightness difference may occur between the display area corresponding to where the light source is disposed and the display area corresponding to peripheral areas of the light guide plates where the light source is not disposed. A display sub-area corresponding to where the light source is disposed may be about 10 times brighter than a display sub-area corresponding to the periphery of the topmost light guide plate in the stack. The brightness difference is hard to be blocked. In addition, in the centered-type backlight assembly, a cost increases in order to prevent a hot spot from being generated in a portion corresponding to an incident surface of the light guide plate, and uniformity of the brightness decreases due to light loss between the light guide plates adjacent to each other. In addition, if the light guide plates are separately formed and spaced apart from each other, the light guide plates may be misaligned relative to one another.
It is to be understood that this background of the technology section is intended to provide useful background for understanding the here disclosed technology and as such, the technology background section may include ideas, concepts or recognitions that were not part of what was known or appreciated by those skilled in the pertinent art prior to corresponding invention dates of subject matter disclosed herein.